


Caring Really Loudly

by pretzelduck



Category: Professional Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: And Tetsuya Finds It Soothing, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jay's Idea of Comfort Involves a Lot of Hollering, M/M, So It Works for Them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29554758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzelduck/pseuds/pretzelduck
Summary: At least Jay waited until the door was closed before he started hollering."What the fuck?!  Why did I have to find out from the locker room gossip mill that your knee was this bad?  Are you crazy… excuse me… are youloco?"He said the word as slowly as possible and it was more difficult than it should be for Tetsuya to not smile.  Tetsuya hadn't expected to find Jay waiting for him when he returned from another appointment but there he'd been, leaning up against the door and trying to look as inconspicuous as a prettygaijinwith too much hair could possibly look.It wasn't very effective.
Relationships: Naito Tetsuya/Jay White
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Caring Really Loudly

At least Jay waited until the door was closed before he started hollering.

"What the fuck?! Why did I have to find out from the locker room gossip mill that your knee was this bad? Are you crazy… excuse me… are you _loco_?"

He said the word as slowly as possible and it was more difficult than it should be for Tetsuya to not smile. Tetsuya hadn't expected to find Jay waiting for him when he returned from another appointment but there he'd been, leaning up against the door and trying to look as inconspicuous as a pretty _gaijin_ with too much hair could possibly look.

It wasn't very effective.

Tetsuya started to bend down to take his shoes off but he was - only a little roughly - pushed against the door. And then there was Jay, kneeling on the floor in front of him, even though he was probably sore and aching. There was such careful care in the way he slowly maneuvered each of Tetsuya's legs and feet to remove his shoes for him. It was the sort of gentleness that Jay kept so tightly hidden away from almost everyone and even Tetsuya saw fewer glimpses of it than he would like. 

But as soon as he stood up to take off his own shoes, that tenderness had been replaced by dramatic anger.

"It would have taken you a single minute to text me but no. Of course not. I heard it from a Young Lion whose name I've already forgotten. "

He had gone back and forth on whether or not to tell Jay about injuring his knee. They were together but they weren't. Time they spent together could be measured in hours not days. His _familia_ had no idea that Tetsuya had entangled himself - physically and emotionally - with the leader of Bullet Club. Although, it would not surprise him if BUSHI suspected something. His comment earlier about whether or not he needed to contact anyone else had been a bit too pointed to be completely innocent. In the end, Tetsuya had said nothing and now he found himself regretting that choice.

"Jay…"

"Don't 'Jay' me, Naito. Go sit down."

Naito.

When they were alone - when it was just the two of them - very rarely any more would Jay call him that. Teasing 'Tetsuya' from those lips had taken time and effort and patience but hearing it that first time - whispered into his ear - had been worth it. Even better had been all the moments since with Jay calling him by his given name without hesitation - as if they had always been such things to one another. Now, 'Naito' only came to the surface when Jay was lashing out. When he was hurting.

And Tetsuya had been the one to cause it.

That knowledge made each step toward the sofa ache just a little bit more.

Jay was right there with him, though, despite everything. Hovering and staring but definitely carefully keeping his hands to himself. Even as he lowered himself onto the sofa, Jay just watched as he tried to get comfortable and stretch his leg out. Tetsuya knew he had probably overdone it a bit but he had owed it to the fans to speak rather than just not appear. As soon as he was situated, he turned to look at Jay - to apologize - but the depth of concern on that face completely stole the words away.

Not telling Jay hadn't just been a mistake. 

It had been painfully cruel to that ever-overflowing heart of his.

But that particular glimpse lasted only long enough for him to blink before Jay was walking away, ranting, raving, and out of his line-of-sight.

"I'm gonna fucking kill Nagata." Threatening death shouldn't be sweet but it was. Not that he was telling Jay that. It would only encourage him. "When I'm done helping Ishii with his oxygen intake problem, Nagata is next."

"Is that what you're doing?"

There was a pillow in his hand when Jay came back around and it took Tetsuya a moment to realize that it was for him. With that gentleness again, Jay carefully lifted his leg so he could place the pillow under his knee. The softness of the moment was almost completely ruined with Jay's continued blustering.

"The man has no neck, Naito. I'm sure he's fine."

And he was still Naito.

"Jay…"

"I could understand if it was just bothering you. Maybe. If it wasn't that bad." The hurt was easy to see and Tetsuya wished he knew how to make it go away. "But no, it's bad enough you can't wrestle the rest of the tour. You should have said something, _cabrón_." 

Tetsuya wondered if Jay realized that he had started to use the word at all, let alone like what might be an endearment. It was charming in its own way. Particularly since Spanish didn't mix terribly well with Jay's own accent which just made it almost adorable.

"I should be fine by Castle Attack."

And he waited for Jay to start on a rant about _of course you'll be fine for Ibushi_ or something along those lines. He swore he wasn't jealous of anyone else he faced in the ring - _I'm the Switchblade… they should be jealous of me_ \- but Tetsuya wasn't fooled. The expression on his face didn't shift into that vaguely angry thing that he was expecting, though. Instead, there was so much warmth and faith in those eyes that it made Tetsuya's heart beat twice as hard.

"You'd better be. You have to get our belt back from Ibushi."

_Our belt?_

They had feuded over it - having so much fun in the process - but he hadn't realized that Jay thought of it that way. Tetsuya liked the sound of it, though. Jay so rarely used words like that - _our and us and we_ \- and that made it even better. An incredibly soft kiss was swiftly placed against his temple and then Jay wandered away again - before he could try and pull him closer.

"Idiot Ibushi thinks he can just merge the belts. Why? Because he's a _God_ now!? Ridiculous!" That warmth was entirely gone now and Jay had easily slipped back into his hollering. "I carried that belt into Wrestle Kingdom and he thinks he can erase my history? Nobody is going to forget me!"

It probably gave away exactly how far gone he was for one Jay White but the sound of him bellowing his way through the kitchen was more soothing and relaxing than anything else. It felt normal. Everything was fine if Jay was ranting like that. 

"And there's nothing in this kitchen! Why don't you have any food?" 

Tetsuya could hear the refrigerator being opened and closed as if doing it over and over again would magically make food appear. And there was food - just probably nothing that was Jay-Approved. There was nothing wrong with stuff from the conbini. Jay was the only one of them that ever cooked in that kitchen anyway and that didn't happen as often as it _should_.

"Seriously, Tetsuya? No ice?" More random rustling sounds. "Now I have to improvise."

He sounded so put out about that fact that Tetsuya couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. And he was 'Tetsuya' again, it seemed. Everything was _going_ to be fine. He was more aware than anyone of just how battered his knees were. Of how easily everything that mattered to him could disappear.

Jay came back around the corner with something wrapped up in a towel and his mouth still moving.

Well, not _everything_ that mattered.

"This would be so much easier if you stocked your kitchen properly. It's disgraceful in there."

For all of his loud words, Jay was quiet as he crouched down next to the sofa and carefully arranged his improvised ice pack around his injured knee. His touch was more gentle than most people probably thought him capable of but Tetsuya knew better. Was privileged enough to know better. Especially as Jay turned to look at him with such a soft yet worried smile on his face.

"That okay?"

And there were so many emotions in those expressive eyes of his. Hurt and concern and the one they had yet to acknowledge. The one that was just starting to develop, even though he suspected that neither of them thought it would happen. But it had and they both needed to start to trust it. Love was there in each caress and each kiss. The words would come in time.

"Yeah. Come here."

Jay was definitely more worried than he was letting on as he stood up and moved forward until he was finally within arm's reach - without arguing or complaining. Tetsuya grabbed a hold of his shirt and tugged Jay downward. They were both smirking as their lips met and those were the best kinds of kisses. That beard scratched and tickled, though, which was a terrible sign. He had watched Jay spend far too much time grooming. Tetsuya knew that the scratchiness meant Jay must have rushed his morning routine or been too preoccupied to do things properly and it made his heart melt a little more. 

Their kiss was more tentative than usual and Jay stubbornly refused to escalate the intensity no matter how much Tetsuya tried to encourage him otherwise. He didn't need to be treated like he was breakable - it was not necessary - but it seemed like Jay needed this moment to be just like this. Normally, someone trying to take care of him was almost suffocating but Jay - in a way he'd probably preen about - was an exception. 

And Tetsuya _knew_ that it wasn't the rareness of such situations that made it that way.

He also knew that the words needed to be said - that he needed to apologize - but he tried to pour his regret into their kiss, anyway. Maybe Jay would trust it a little more if he could feel it too. Tetsuya could certainly feel the harm he'd caused in the way Jay was holding a piece of himself back - hiding it away. He had made Jay _doubt_ this bond that had slowly grown between them. Doubt something that - to Tetsuya - felt like it was their true _destino_. Jay's hands were motionless as they kissed and they were never still. Those hands were always tugging and pulling and wandering. But now they didn't move - as if Jay was hesitant to hold on too tightly.

That wouldn't do.

Tetsuya _wanted_ Jay to hold on to him as tightly as he could. He wanted them to never let each other go. Pulling back, he didn't let Jay move any further than resting their foreheads together. 

"Jay… I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Only Jay could put so much emotion into two short words. "We're not…"

"We are."

Those words, though, caused Jay to pull back but he thankfully stayed close. They were still touching - still connected. But Jay didn't say anything in response. For all of his hollering and ranting, he was silent. He simply stared. Tetsuya didn't know what he was looking for - what he was searching for - but he held that gaze and waited. Seconds or hours could have passed but eventually, a smile spread across Jay's face. It was tender and fond and something that he had never seen before.

"We are."

The certainty in those words mirrored that which he felt in his soul. He couldn't stop the next words that came out of his mouth, though.

"Even if my kitchen is a disgrace?"

Jay rolled his eyes and chuckled - the sound of his genuine laughter was still a delight. Repositioning himself, Jay sat down on the floor and leaned against the couch. It definitely wasn't as close as Tetsuya wanted him to be but he also knew that Jay wasn't going to do anything that might agitate his knee. So this would do.

"I can't stay long."

Tetsuya could only imagine the havoc that Jay's trip to visit him had caused to his schedule. He was going to be exhausted and drained and all out of sorts. But he'd made the effort anyway. Even in his hurt and his anger, Jay had still been there waiting at his door.

"I know." Tetsuya leaned forward enough to steal a kiss. "I'm happy you're here now."

"Me too."

-fin- 


End file.
